Will a public-private tie-up end Hyd’s traffic woes?

Private body proposes construction of parking plazas to deputy commissioner

HYDERABAD:

Traffic congestion, a lack of regulation, potholes and bumps, encroached footpaths and parking woes are the most noticeable yet nagging features ever present on the roads in Hyderabad. With the rapid increase of Hyderabad's population, commercial buildings and market areas, these problems have only aggravated through the years.

The local authorities are often witnessed taking frantic measures to address the problem, however, arguably in a piecemeal manner. The consequences further compound the problems.

The proposal

The Association of Builders and Developers (ABAD), Hyderabad region, in view of these traffic and parking issues, has floated a proposal for the construction of several parking plazas under the public-private partnership. In a letter to Hyderabad deputy commissioner (DC) Fuad Ghaffar Soomro, the association's vice-president Kashif Shaikh put forward a plan for executing the project.

"Neither the government nor ABAD will have to spend funds from their budgets," said Shaikh while talking to The Express Tribune. According to him, the ground-plus-six structures of parking-cum-commercial plazas can be built in all parts of City, Latifabad and Qasimabad talukas.

"Four floors will be reserved for the parking and two for residential purposes. And there will be shops on the ground floor as well," he said.

According to his proposition, residential apartments will be sold to pay for the cost of construction and shops will be rented out so that the collected revenue could be utilised for the maintenance of the parking floors.

Under this partnership, the government will provide land and the association its expertise.

The ABAD has requested the DC to help realise the plan and provide land for the purpose.

But the solution is not as simple

However, the DC told The Express Tribune that the land required for such parking areas or plazas is only available with the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (HMC).

He recalled that a few months ago he wrote to the corporation to set up parking areas on a number of plots in City and Latifabad talukas, which were identified by the district administration. Soomro said the ABAD should approach the Sindh Public Private Partnership unit to pursue and get approval for their proposal.

HMC administrator Safdar Ali Bughio could not be contacted for his version.

The problem of parking

Currently, the vehicles are parked by the roadside in all the commercial areas and roads. There are also some charged parking areas on Autobahn Road, Station Road and in Saddar and parts of Latifabad and Qasimabad, but they contribute to traffic congestion.

Against a parking fee ranging from Rs30 to Rs50, vehicles are allowed to occupy a part of a road. The only commercial building with charged underground parking facility is the Boulevard Mall, located on Autobahn road near Fateh chowk. But even that mall has occupied part of the road and storm drain on which vehicles are charged Rs100 for parking.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, April 19^th, 2021.